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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bat · safe · plane · land · row · perch · file · board

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. file — a line of people
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. board — a committee
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — a country
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bat — the animal
  17. file — a document
  18. board — to get on
  19. row — a line
  20. plane — a tool
  21. perch — the fish
  22. land — ground
  23. row — to paddle
  24. file — a tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com